Registering device



Jan. 1.6, 1962 A. v. BODEEN REGISTERING DEVICE Filed Dec. 25, 1957 United States Patent O 3,017,087 REGISTERING DEVICE Algot V. Bodeen, Alexandria, Minn. (Box 16, Port Wing, Wis.) Filed Dec. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 704,804 2 Claims. (Cl. 23S-122) This invention relates to a novel register or recorder for visually indicating the number of items or the number of a particular class of items which should be contained on a holder with which the register is associated.

More particularly, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a novel registering device which is normally locked so that a movable registering part thereof cannot be moved by unauthorized persons to vary the number shown by the register.

A further object of the invention is to provide a registering device especially adapted for use on trays utilized in connection with serving food and drinks to customers in automobiles and for indicating the number of utensil items or a particular utensil item left with the tray when the customer or customers are served, so that the waiter or waitress when removing the tray from the vehicle can tell at a glance if all the utensil items have been replaced on the tray.

A further object of the invention is to provide a registering device which is so Constructed that it may be quickly applied to conventional trays ofthe type used for serving food and drinks to patrons in automobiles.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE l is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the registering device and showing a portion of a tray on which the device is mounted;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 with a portion of the case of the register removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of FIGURE l, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by theA line 5 5 of FIGURE l.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the registering device is designated generally 7 and includes a housing 8 composed of a back plate 9 and a front plate 10. The front plate 10 has inwardly or rearwardly turned anges 11 which abut against the back plate 9. As seen in FIG- URES l and 2, the front plate 10 has an upwardly opening notch 12 in the upper central portion thereof and the flange 11 4is provided with a gap or opening 13 in the top part thereof which extends beyond the upper extremities of the notch 12.

A disc 14 is rotatably mounted in the housing 8 on a shank of a bolt and nut fastening 15 which extends through the rear plate 9 and front plate 10. The front face of the disc or dial 14, which faces the front plate 10, is provided with circumferentially spaced numbers 16 from 0 through 9 and the periphery of said disc is provided with notches 17 located between the numbers 16.

A spring 18 formed from a strand of resilient wire has an intermediate portion anchored in a corner of the housing 8 on the shank of a nut and bolt fastening 19 which extends through the plates 9 and 10. Said fastening 19 `cooperates with the fastening 15 in detachably connecting the housing sections 9 and 10 together. As best seen in FIGURE 3, one end or leg of the spring 18 extends downwardly from the fastening 19 and bears against a Patented Jan. 16, 1962 portion of the flange 11 and on the inner side thereof. The other leg 21 likewise extends downwardly from the fastening 19 at an incline toward a portion of the periphery of the disc 14 and has an outturned terminal portion 22 which is spr-ing biased toward the aXis of the disc 14 and which normally seats in one of the notches 17 to lock said dial or disc 1'4 nonrotatably in the housing 8.

The back plate 9 is provided with an opening 23 disposed between the fastening 19 and an adjacent portion of the dial 14 and the front plate 10 is provided with a keyhole shaped opening 24 which is also disposed between the fastening 19 and dial 14 and the upper circular portion of which aligns with the opening 23.

A pin 25 and bit 26 of akey 27 are inserted inwardly through the opening 24 to position said parts 25 and 26 between the spring leg 21 and dial 14. The pin 25 will be journaled in the upper part of the opening 24 and in the opening 23 so that the bit 26 can be swung clockwise as seen in FIGURE 3, away from the dial 14 and to its dotted line position by manipulation of the key 27 lfor camming the leg 21 from its full line to its dotted line position of FIGURE 3 and out of engagement with the dial 14, so that said dial can be freely rotated in the housing 8 to position a selected one of the numerals 16 in an exposed position in the notch 12, as seen in FIGURE l. Thereafter when the key 27 is returned to its full line position of FIGURE 3 and removed from the keyhole 24 the spring terminal 22 will resume a position in engagement with a notch 17 for locking the dial 14 immovably in its adjusted position in the housing 8. Accordingly, the dial 14 can only be adjusted by someone having a key with a bit 26 and pin 25 of proper size to it the keyhole 24.

The registering device 7 may be utilized for numerous purposes one preferred use of which is for indicating the number of items or a particular item on a tray used to serve food and drinks to patrons in automobiles. The register 7 has been illustrated in conjunction with a portion of such a tray 28 for this use. The back plate 9 includes a portion extending upwardly from the upper edge of the front plate 10 and which is bent rearwardly to form a hook 29 which engages over a part of the rim 30 of the tray 28. Another upper edge portion of the back plate 9 is bent rearwardly to form a Harige 31, as best seen in FIGURE 4, which engages under another part of the rim 30. The back plate 9 is also provided with an extension 32 which projects beyond a vertical side edge of the front plate 10 and which overlies a depending leg 33 which is secured to and extends downwardly from the tray 28. The extension 32 is secured to the leg 33 by a bolt and nut fastening 34 which cooperates with the hook 29 and flange 31 to detachably secure the register 7 immovably on an end or side of the tray 28. However, it will be readily apparent that the register 7 could be manufactured as an integral part of the tray 28 and with the back plate 9 thereof forming an integral extension of the rim portion of the tray.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the key 27 may be kept on a chain at a serving counter where orders are illed and placed upon the tray 28 to be served to customers in their cars by a waiter or waitress, and the key may be utilized to release the spring leg 21 so that the dial 14 can be adjusted to indicate the number of drinking receptacles, for example, which are placed upon the tray and which should be returned with the tray, or for indicating the number of any other utensil or the total number of utensils. Thus, when the tray is picked up by the waiter or waitress from the car such party can quickly check visually to determine that the number of items left with the tray agrees with the numeral 16l appearing in the notch 12. It will also be apparent that an adjustment of the dial 14 cannot be tampered with while the tray and register are away from the serving counter where the key 27 is retained.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A registering device comprising a substantially flat housing including spaced front and rear walls, a disc disposed in the housing between the front and rear walls and forming a dial having circumferentially spaced numerals on one side thereof, means rotatably mounting said dial in the housing, said housing having a top portio-n provided with an opening through which a portion of the dial projects, said front wall having a notch through which one of the numerals of the dial is visible, said dial having outwardly opening circumferentially spaced notches in the periphery thereof, a spring lock mounted in said housing at a point spaced outwardly from a part of the dial periphery and having a part normally spring biased into engagement with one of the dial notches to retain the dial against rotation with one numeral thereof exposed through the front wall notch, said housing hav-ing a keyhole, and a key having a pin and bit insertable into the housing through the keyhole between the spring lock .and a part of the dial and turnable in one direction within the housing to engage the spring lock for displacing said part of the spring lock out of engagement with the dial to release the dial for rotation by manually engaging the part of the dial exposed through the opening of the top portion and through the front wall notch.

2. A registering device as in claim 1, said dial having a relatively close tting engagement between the front and rear walls, and a portion Vof the dial beingdisposed between the spring lock and said opening of the top portion and the front wall notch to provide an obstruction for rendering the spring lock accessible for movement only by the key when disposed in the keyhole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,646 Paproth etal Mar. 21, 1893 1,340,998 Williams May 25, 1.920 1,358,698 Beskow Nov.,16, 1920 1,581,374 Youngs Apr. 20, 1926 1,819,755 Primos Aug. 18, 1931 2,699,897 Volk Ian. 18, 1955 2,841,899 Renfrow July 8, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 169,862 Austria Dec. 27, 1951 736,313 Francev Sept. 13, 1932 328,968 Germany Nov. 11, 1920 434,592 Germany Oct. l, 1926 

